The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has made the decision to close the Faculty of Physician Associates (FPA) at the end of the year.
RCP Council today (10 September) agreed to close down the FPA, once the GMC becomes the regulatory body for medical associate professionals.
This follows an EGM in 2024 at the Royal College of Physicians, where it was announced that the FPA would become independent of the RCP within a year.
Established in 2015, the FPA is responsible for setting PA standards, running the accreditation examinations, managing of the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR), and is a faculty of the RCP. The FPA replaced the previous body – known as UKAPA (UK Association of Physician Associates) – which was created in 2005.
The FPA will now close on 31 December 2024, and from 1 January 2025, PAs will be offered affiliate membership of the RCP in line with other non-doctor professions.
The PA managed voluntary register (PAMVR) will close to new entrants once the GMC becomes the regulator. The RCP will begin to transfer PAMVR data to the GMC from October 2024.
The RCP Assessment Unit will continue to deliver the PA National Exam on behalf of the GMC for the next 4 years, to provide oversight of patient safety standards.
FPA membership will be extended at no additional cost to qualified FPA members for 2 months from 1 November – 31 December 2024. This will include access to the FPA ePortfolio and CPD resources.
Following the closure of the FPA, it is not known whether PAs will continue to have access to the FPA ePortfolio.
The 2024 FPA multi-site conference will go ahead as planned on 11 December (London) and 13 December (Liverpool).
The FPA board – including the president and other board members – resigned en masse earlier this year. Since then, the FPA has been lead by an acting president Andy Jones and interim leadership team.
The interim FPA team say that PAs will have the opportunity to give their views in a survey, to shape the future of the PA profession.
The College of Medical Associate Professionals (CMAPs) is a new professional association for PAs and AAs, aiming to be the leading authority and advocate for MAPs. CMAPs is being run by many former board members of the FPA board, and is setting the highest standards for the education and clinical practice of MAPs and ensuring patient safety and trust in the PA and AA professions. CMAPs is working in partnership with members of the Unions for MAPS (UMAPs) Caretaker Council, to shape a new path for PAs.